Climbing toy



F. G- SCHELM Aug. 21, 1951 CLIMBING TOY Filed Nov. 17, 194? 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

FREDERICK 6. SGHELM.

3M ATTORNEY.

Aug. 21, 1951 F SCHELM 2,565,096

CLIMBING TOY Filed NOV. 17, 1949 3 Sheets-$369; 2

INVENTOR. FREDERICK 6. SGHELM.

.4 T TORNEX Aug. 21, 1951 F, G. SCHQELM 2,565,096

CLIMBING TOY Filed Nov. 17, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. FREDERICK 6. SOHELM ATTORIVE Y.

Patented Aug. 2.1, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLIMBING TOY Frederick G. .Schelm, Baltimore, Md.

Application November 17, 1949, Serial No. 127,950

6 Claims.

, 1 'This invention refers to amusement devices and. more particularly to those including a manikin' climbing up a rope actuated by pulling a string.

The conventional toy showing a manikin climbing a rope requires a drum on which the rope or string is wound and involves mechanism that is more or less complicated. In this invention the mechanism is relativel simple and enables the device to operat smoothly, positively and effectively, and its cost of manufacture is no more than that of any other type.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new and improved climbing toy that will avoid one or more of the disadvantages and limitations of the prior art.

Another object of the invention is to provide amanikin having a mechanism enclosed in its structure that will enable it to climb upwardly on a rope or string, slide down it or stop at any point of its travel.

ther objects will become apparent as th invention is more fully explained.

For a better understanding of the invention, a particular form is illustrated in the accompanying drawings by way of example. The drawings in conjunction with the following description outline the structure, operation and principles of the device, while the claims indicate the scop of the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a climbing device embodying this invention;

I Figure 2 is a front elevation of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of- Figure 1;

Figure l is a sectional view taken along line 6-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the leg in extended position, showing the operation of the leg cams for removing the pawls at predetermined intervals;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 except it shows the leg retracted position;

Figure 7 is a longitudinal section through the device showing rearrangement of pulleys; in modified form;

Figu1 e 8 is a sectional View taken along line 8-3 of Figure 7 Figure 9 is a sectional View of the modified leg in extended position; and

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 9 except it shows the leg in retracted position.

Similar reference characters relate to the same elements throughout the drawings.

til

In the structure illustrated, the body I0 of a manikin is of thin material suitably formed into the arbitrar outline of a selected form of manikin. It is'impressed into two half shells 20 to allow for the insertion and actuation of the assembled operating mechanism H. It has the contour of a climbing individual with the legs l2 hinged and bent up, having openings l3 and I -5 respectively provided therein for the passage of the rope or cord M used with the device. Arms Hi are loosely hinged on support 34 which is rigidly secured to th half shells 28 as indicated. The arms swing on a pivot ll which passes through the body at shoulder level. The arms are arranged with hands l8 opened at 19 also for the passage of the rope M. The mechanism H of the device consists of a lever 21 pivoted to the support 3 at its upper end 22 and loose at the other end with a pulley wheel 23 thereon. The loose arrangement enables the lever to swing the pulley wheel 23 through a lateral arc. A spring 2 1 tensions the lever to position itself towards the back of the manikin. The arms l6 are swung together to the raised and lowered positions through a connecting pin 35 attached to them and the lever. The movement of the lever through the pin operates the arms. In the vicinity of the knees of the manikin, are supported rotatable pulleys 25 and 25 respectively, one above the other. Their peripheries are formed with ratchet teeth 2? and 28 respectively engaged by the pawls 29 and 36 to retard rotation in a clockwise direction. The pulleys rotate in the same direction. The pulleys 25 and 26 are encased in the middle with rubber 3!, where the cord I4 is wound over, as illustrated in the drawings. The cord or rope i4 is secured to a stationary point outside and above the manikin and preferably has a ring 32 for its support disposed on a nail or the like. Likewise the lower end of the cord extends vertically below the manilrin and has a ring 33 attached. The length of the cord is a matter of choice, but the longer it is, the greater the amount of travel can the manikin do.

The legs l2 are made of sheet material such as metal or plastic, formed hollow interiorly and pivoted at 43 on a stationary frame 36 and secured to the support 34. The movement of the legs from down position dotted when the cord M is pulled down, to its raised position (in full) is the full amount of their travel. The lever 2| is of course pulled towards the support 34 by the cord. The legs are together in one unit rather than separate as. actually is the case with normal human beings. Thisunit is necessary to keep all the elements of the mechanism in convenient relation to each other for their construction and operation. When in the raised position a cam piece 3! is tilted so that its cam edges 38 and 39 contact and raise the pawls 29 and 30 respectively, leaving the pulleys free to turn without their obstruction. The cam piece 31 is preferably formed integral with the legs and works in unison therewith. It is preferably formed as indicated in Figure 6.

When the cord I4 is loosened (yet keeping it from becoming slack or non-taut) the legs I2 are raised or take an angular position by the potential resiliency stored in the spring 40. The lever 2I retracts also and pulls on the upper cord and draws it over the pulley 25. The pulley 25 rotates with the cord and therefore little friction has to be overcome, and it is not against the pawl since the latter restricts its rotation in the other direction. The pawls are released by the cam pieces when the legs are raised so that they allow free rotation of the pulleys 25 and 26 during that period. With these features in mind in appreciating the action of the pulleys the general operation of the device is as follows:

In the operation of the device it is assumed that the ring 32 is kept firmly stationary and holds the cord I 4 in a vertical position. If the lower ring 33 is pulled it takes up some of the lower length of cord I4 that passes over the pulley 2B pulling bodily on the pulley 23 and swinging the lever with it. The length of the amount of cord taken up, is the same as the distance of the position of the pulley 23 to the pulley 26 and adds to the length of cord from the manikin to the ring 33 as such passes over the pulley 26, which it revolves. When the cord I4 is loosened (but still keeping it relatively taut) it allows the pulley 23 to be pulled backwardly or outwardly by the lever 2| under the tension of its spring 24, taking up cord from around the pulley 25 and raising the manikin thereon. The opening I9 in the hands being shaped large enough so they will not bind on the cord as they are moved arcuately down under the action of the lever 2I forced out by its spring 24, induces the manikin to climb up the cord. The opening I9 is round when horizontal with respect to the cord running through it, and elliptical when the cord is pulled downwardly towards the ring 33. controlled by the ratchet teeth 21 and 28 and the pawls 29 and 30, against rotation allowing the cord to loosen in a clockwise direction, except by slippage. These pulleys with the rubber 3I in contact with the cord I4 offering frictional resistance turn with the travel of the cord in one direction, and resist the slipping of the cord in the opposite direction, provided the cord is kept reasonably taut and the manikin is vertically disposed. If the cord is loosened up too much, it permits the manikin to slip either way along the cord. It is to be noted that the movement of the pulley 23 outwards draws up the cord between pulleys 23 and 25 and causes the manikin to climb, not the downward pull of the hands I8. The hands simply slip over but do not bind on the cord and stay at that point while the upper cord is the item that is taken up, so that the next pull on the ring 33 will take up the lower cord and raise the arms I6 so that they will move higher up on the cord. The body rises with the mechanism I I as the latter is actuated and drawn up by the cord M. This action can be continued indefinitely by the user. He keeps pulling intermittently on the lower ring 33 and its cord until The pulleys 25 and 26 are 4 the manikin is high enough to suit him. Then loosening on the cord by lifting the ring 33, enables the manikin to slip down the cord ready to repeat its climbing. The legs being separated from the body proper have a lifting and stretching movement that gives them a very natural action.

The modification shown in Figures 7, 8, 9 and 10 are similar to the device shown in Figures 1 to 6 inclusive and uses the same parts with the exception, that the pulleys are numbered I25 and I23 and positioned on the same shaft I2'I. Pawls I28 and I29 are operated by cams I30 and I3I.

While but two general forms of the invention are shown in the drawings and described in the specification, it is not desired to limit this application for patent to this particular form, as it is appreciated that other forms of construction could be made that would use the same principles and come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. A toy article designed to travel along a cord anchored at one end, and having its other end free, a body for said toy, a propelling mechanism carried by said body, said mechanism comprising a pair of spaced pulleys, ratchet teeth carried by said pulleys, pawls cooperating with said ratchet teeth, a lever pivotally attached to said propelling mechanism at a point above said first mentioned pulleys, and a third pulley secured to said lever and offset from the ratcheted pulleys, the free end of the cord winding around one of the ratcheted pulleys, then around the third pulley, then around the other ratcheted pulley, whereby a pull on the free end of the cord will cause movement of said lever and third pulley towards the ratcheted pulleys, slackening the rope towards its point of anchorage and result in ascending movement of the body along the cord.

2. A toy article as set forth in claim 1, said body having arm and leg members, and said members having openings therethrough for the passage of the cord.

3. A toy article as set forth in claim 1, including means for releasing the pawls from the ratchet teeth, whereby said body is free to slide on the cord when the pull on the free end of the cord ceases.

4. A toy article as set forth in claim 1, said body having arm and leg members pivotally secured thereto, means for releasing the pawls from the ratchet teeth whereby said body is free to slide on the cord when the pull on free end of the cord ceases, said means being controlled by the pivotal movement of the leg member upon the ascension of the body on the cord.

5. A toy article as set forth in claim 1, including a cam cooperating with the pawls to release them from contact with the ratchet teeth when the pull on the free end of the cord ceases.

6. A toy article as set forth in claim 1, in combination with added frictional means between the cord and the pulleys.

FREDERICK G. SCI-IELM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 240,510 Farnum Apr. 26, 1881 243,439 Farnum June 28, 1881 

